“This is all a little overwhelming as I just graduated college less than 5 months ago, but at the same time I’ve never had more fun [while] doing something that felt as rewarding as starting this small company has been,” Kray said. “I’m totally serious when I say this, I probably wouldn’t have even thought of doing this if I hadn’t gotten the [LulzBot] Mini and been able to modify it so much and so easily. Getting that printer really sparked this whole journey I’m on right now.”
“I chose the [LulzBot] Mini because of the robust build quality, ability to print almost any material, and LulzBot’s dedication to Open Source,” Kray said. “The results were better than expected…the handles were sanded, stained, and lacquered, and have held up very well [against] the abuse of a very busy cafe environment.”
“LulzBot’s commitment to Open Source software and hardware have really made the Mini a great tool as it’s easy to work on and fix ourselves, as well as make our own modifications,” Kray said. “I spend a lot of time on the LulzBot OHAI page [and] in the development documentation…If we haven’t hit 1,000 prints on the [LulzBot] Mini yet, we are getting very close.”
It’s not every day that buying a new 3D printer leads to the beginning of a new business, but that’s what happened in Kray’s case. That’s what many would like to see in the poorer, less industrialized areas in the world – people beginning their own manufacturing businesses after acquiring a 3D printer. Kray’s situation isn’t exactly the same, but he’s still proof that the acquisition of a 3D printer can change the direction of a life.
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[Source LulzBot / Images: Hydra Research]